Fusion Dance
by Matenit
Summary: It was the fifth time that Peridot tripped over her own feet, trying to match the giant gem's dance moves.


It was the fifth time that Peridot tripped over her own feet, trying to match the giant gem's dance moves. She just wasn't made for things like dancing and physical activities; her strong suit was the intellectual path. No matter how hard she tried, she always ended up on the floor, tired and frustrated. It was no help that her 'partner' was a blockhead as much as she was a hefty athlete.  
"How many times are you going to end up falling on your face?" Jasper snapped, hauling her back onto her feet by just grasping the back of her shirt. Peridot huffed, brushing off the front of her outfit.  
"Well if you could just match my moves better, it wouldn't be happening." Jasper's face just twisted, and she forcibly took her hand in hers again.  
In anticipation for the battle with the Crystal Gems, Jasper had been practicing all of her moves to fight them, one of which included fusion. Even though she was against it, if it came to it, she wanted to be prepared. And, unfortunately for Peridot, she was the only one available to practice with. At first, she refused, saying that it wouldn't help any, that she was better for planning, but Jasper blatantly demanded, playing the superior card. Peridot grudgingly complied.  
"Watch your feet!" Jasper barked, stopping suddenly, and placing a hand condescendingly on her hip. "I can't fuse with you if you keep fucking up!" Peridot flushed.  
"I wouldn't be so awful if you could just dance correctly." She muttered, evading her eyes from the other gem. This was half true; Jasper might have been good at punching and kicking, but when it came to graceful dancing, she was off beat. Her moves were too strong and stiff, and her feet too large, often making Peridot stumble. Together, they were quite a mess.  
"I can't defeat anyone if I have _you_ as my partner," Jasper complained. As much as Peridot hated it to admit, she was right. They couldn't fuse like this, they couldn't even get two steps right. Even though she really didn't want to get her hands dirty, it would be a lot better than being captured by their enemies. She gritted her teeth.  
"One more time." Peridot mumbled, holding out her hand. Jasper just looked at her, amber eyes irritated.  
"Listen, runt, if I'm going to do this, I'm going to do it right. I don't need-"  
"One. More time." Peridot was determined now. She would prove the older gem wrong. When Jasper still hesitated, Peridot reached up and grabbed her idle hand, weaving their fingers together. It was a bit difficult, with their major height difference, and Peridot still had to hold up her arm to fully connect with her. Finally, Jasper seemed to come back to her senses and smirked. Her other hand came out to seize Peridot's hip, and she began leading. Peridot had her eyes firmly focused on the ground, trying to match her feet with Jasper's pace. Luckily, the other seemed to have the same idea, instead of going off on her own. Step back, step up, left, right; Jasper kept it simple. Peridot's clumsy feet at last seemed to find a sense of rhythm, and soon she was stepping perfectly in time with the giant gem. A small glimmer of pride lit up her chest. She was excited that she was finally able to measure up to the other woman in at least one area. But, since she had her eyes fixated on the ground, she was caught by surprise when Jasper suddenly gripped her hand tightly and spun her around. She nearly fell again, but the grip was strong and held her up. When she tried to look up into Jasper's face to get a read on what had just happened, she was twirled again, this time her body was forcefully dipped down, her head almost colliding with the floor before Jasper's thick arm caught her round the waist. By this time she was breathing heavily and frightfully confused. She wasn't expecting her to take it _all_ the way; she wasn't even sure the ship could support a full out fusion. Straining her neck up, she was greeted by Jasper's face, wearing a near predator grin. Her eyes glimmered strangely, but what really drew her attention was her gem, begin to glow. Instantly, she felt her own become hot, and gasped. If they fused now, who knew what would happen? Panic filled her chest, and her hand reached up to push on Jasper's shoulders, trying to peel herself away from the gem. Jasper thankfully let her, and she placed her hands on her knees, trying to catch her breath before straightening up and clearing her throat.  
"Ah, that was… good practice. Nice work." Jasper didn't reply, merely patted her on the back. Peridot suddenly lurched forward; the other still didn't know her own strength, almost pushing her to the floor again. Peridot grimaced.  
"I'm going to go check on the ship coordinates, don't break anything else while I'm gone." She murmured, walking away from the other.  
"Yeah. See ya, _partner_."


End file.
